Means for preventing deformation of steel tubes

ABSTRACT

A means for preventing deformation of steel tubes comprises a plurality of intersecting beams respectively provided with a fixed seat at one end thereof having a curvature corresponding to that of the inner wall of a steel tube and a removable seat having the same curvature as that of the said fixed seat to be attached to the other end with a plurality of wedges inserted therebetween to bring the respective contacting parts of the both seats into close contact with the inner wall of the steel tube by means of the wedges. In addition to the said beams, two additional beams to one end of which the same removable seat as aforementioned one is attached with the same wedges inserted in the same manner may be employed.

United States Patent 1191 Yamaguchi et a1. Dec. 4, 1973 [54] MEANS FOR PRE VENTING DEFORMATION 1,331,127 5/1963 France 151/45 R OF STEEL TUBES 13,289 12/1896 Switzerland 254/104 1 161,518 2/1953 Australia 254/104 [75] Inventors: Masaya Yamaguchi; Nobuyuki Hironaka, both of Fukuyama, Japan OTHER PUBLICATIONS [7331 Assignee Nippm Kkan Kabushiki Kaisha ENR News of the Week May 19 1938 page 701 Tokyo? Japan photograph entitled Concrete Lining for London [22] Filed: Sept. 22, 1971 Subways,.

[21] Appl. No.: 182,593

Primary Examiner-Herbert F. Ross [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Attomeyfiflynn & Fnshauf Sept. 29, 1970 Japan 45/96086 52 US. Cl. 138/109, 138/108, 138/172, [571 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl 254/104 248/354 A means for preventing deformation of steel tubes comprises a plurality of intersecting beams p [58] 2 7 6 3", ;"g gg 5 12 32222? tively provided with a-fixed seat at one end thereof f 254,104 having a curvature corresponding to that of the inner wall of a steel tube and a removable seat having the References Cited same curvature as that of the said fixed seat to be attached to the other end with a plurality of wedges in- UNITED STATES PATENTS serted therebetween to bring the respective contacting 144,112 10/1873 Knoll 61/45 R parts of the both seats into close contact with the 1,766,324 6/ 1930 Berner.... 61/84 X I inner wall of the steel tube by means of the wedges. In 269,651 12/1882 Farrell 138/177 X addition to the Said beams, two additional beams to 2 2 one end of which the same removable seat as aforel:55l:635 9/1925 Birch 248/354 R f amhedw'th the same wedges serted in the same manner may be employed. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 414,695 8/ 1946 Italy 61/45 C 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDDEB Mm 3.776.253

SHEET 20? 3 The present invention relates to a means for preventing deformation of steel tubes having a large diameter. In the prior art, prevention of deformation of steel tubes having a large diameter which may be attributed to statical and dynamic stresses while the tubes are being stored in piles or being transported was achieved by placing intersecting beam members or braces within the tubes at the ends thereof. Such beamshad a predetermined size and were defective in the following points. Since the beams are forcibly beaten into the tubes, the operation is not smooth and the removal of the same is difficult. The end parts of the tubes are more likely to be subjected to damages. It often hap pened that the end parts of the beams contacting the inner surface of the tube were not uniformly pressed so that the steel tube was subjected to a local deformation stress. This resulted in the distortion or'the deformation of the tubes as well as in slipping of the means during the handling or the transportation operations. In the cases when suchcontacting parts were uniformly set within the steel tubes, the said parts after all constituted from the thickness of the beams at the ends thereof. This results in a local contacts with the steel tubes and when the stress was concentrated on such contacting parts, the said parts also tendedto give away to deformation. Furthermore, it was extremely difficult to insert and set such prior type beams in a cross shape well into the tubes and halfway its longitudinal direction.

The present invention has been contrived to eliminate such defects in the prior art cross-type braces for preventing deformationof the steel tubes.

The present invention is now more fully explained references being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a steel tube in which means for preventing the tube deformation embodying the present invention is placed;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the part A in FIG. 1 perspectively showing the dismantled structure of the removable seat and the beam member;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the manner in which the said part of FIG. 2 is fixed to the tube;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the part B in FIG. 1', perspectively showing the structure of the fixed seat and the beam member;

\ FIG. 5 is a front view of a steel tube in which modified means for preventing the tube deformation also embodying the present invention is shown;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the beam (1c) shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the steel tubes shown in FIG. 5 in storage in piles.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinbelow. As shown in the accompanying drawings, two beams la, lb are intersected at the middle of the respective ones in a cross shape, the crossed portion thereof 2 being fixed with each other by nails 3. The angle of intersection of the beams la, lb is determined dependent on the kind of steel tubes such braces are intended for. The number of beams to be used is not limited to two, but more than two beams may be used.

4 denotes fixed seats respectively fixed to one end of the respective beams la, 1b. As shown in FIG. 4, the

fixed seats 4 are provided respectively with a concave 6 which receives a projection 5 projecting from one end of the beams 1a, lb. The projection 5 and the concave 6 are fixedly nailed with nails 7. The said seats 4 are thus attached to the beams la,lb in a perpendicular fashion of the longitudinal direction of the beams,

, and the parts of the seats to contact and press the inner wall of the tube have a curvature corresponding to that of the said wall of the tube.

' 9 denotes seats removably attached to the other end of the beams la, lb. As shown in FIG. 2, the removable seats 9 are provided withconcaves 11 at its proximate center on both sides thereof to engage with the groove 10 at theends of the beams la, lb. Said seat 9 is attached in a perpendicular fashion in respect of the iongitudinal direction of the beams 1a, lb. The parts 12 to be pressed into contact with the inner surface of the steel tubes have the same curvature as that of the part 8 of said seat 4.

13 denotes wedges to be inserted between the bottom of said groove 10 and the bottom of said sheet 9 when attaching said seat 9 to one end of the beams la, lb. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, two wedges l3, 13 are inserted from the opposite directions facing the said seat 9.

Another embodiment of the present invention is now described further references being made to FIGS. 5 to 7.

FIG, 7 shows steel tubes in storage. ,When the tubes are being stored in pile, the weight of the upper tubes bear on those in the lower side particularly at the portions where the tubes contact with each other, that is at. the parts which may correspond to the hours of l, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 in terms of hour angle. (Indicated by the arrows in FIG. 7). I j I In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, another beam 10 is added to the intersecting beams 1a, lb shown in FIG. 1. Three pieces of beams may be intersected at random or the manner as shown in FIG. 5 may be employed, wherein the third members 10, 1c are fixed to the previously intersected and fixed two beams la, lb. The ends 15 ofthe third beams 1c, 1c are formed like an arrowhead so as to allow engagement with the other beams la, lbat the intersecting part. The other ends-16, 16 to come into contact with theinner surface of the steel tubes are arranged in the like manner as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 for attaching wedges andseats.

The means for preventing deformation of steel tubes having alarge diameter of the present invention is attached to the steel tube in the folllowing manner.

The beams'la, lb provided with removable seats 9, 9 are inserted into a predetermined position within the tube and parts 8, 8 of the fixed seats 4, 4 are contacted with the inner surface of the steel tubes. As shown in FIG. 3, wedges l3, 13 are forced between the bottom of the removable seat 9 and the bottom of the grooves 10 one on each side thereoffacing each other by means of a proper tool such as mallet. Wedges are driven in until the contacting portions of the removable seats 9 come into close contact with the inner wall surface of the steel tube. In the case where three beam members are to be equipped within the steel tube as shown in an embodiment of FIG. 5, the additional beams 10, 1c are attached at the sides of the intersecting portion of the beam la, lb by means of the removable seats 9, 9 and the wedges l3, 13 to achieve a shape of three beams intersecting. In bringing the contacting portions l2, 12 of the removable seats 9, 9 into close contact with the inner wall of the steel tube by means of the wedges l3, 13, due attention must be paid so that the fixed seats 4, 4 connected to the lower portion of the beams la, 1b may come in close contact with the inner wall of the steel tube. Such may be achieved by adjusting the wedges as they are driven in from the fore and the rear of the seats 9, 9. I

When removing the novel means. for preventing deformation of steel tubes from the inside of the tubes, the wedges l3, 13 inserted between the removable seats 9, 9 and the grooves of the beams la, lb are removed to loosen the contact. After the wedges are removed, it is quite easy to remove the whole means from within the tube.

As is clear from the foregoing description, the novel means for preventing deformation of steel tubes having a large diameter in accordance with the present invention offers an easy and rapid provision and removal of the means within the steel tube. It also facilitates attaching the means at any desired position within a steel tube since one of the seats may be adjusted by the wedges such as at the center of the length of the pipe and to correspond the shapes of the means to the allowable variation of the sizes in steel tubes. It also secures pressing and setting the contacting parts of the seats at the ends of the beams within the tubes thereby completely eliminating the slipping of the means during the the handling or the transportation. It also eliminates possible irregular or local pressure at the contacting parts. On top of these merits, the back of the seats are so curved in a corresponding curvature ratio to that of the inner wall of the tubes so as to increase the contacting area of the means with the inner surface and to relieve the concentration of local stress. This will achieve prevention of deformation of the steel tubes at the part where such beams contact with the steel tube, The embodiment shown in FIG. shows a structure which gives extremely strong resistance against deformation caused by the external force when the tubes are stored in piles. The steel tubes are merely to be piled so as to allow the beams within the tube to form a straight line in order to achieve this purpose.

What we claim is:

1. In combination with a large diameter steel tube, apparatus for preventing deformation of said steel tube,

4 comprising:

at least two beams intersecting at an angle of about and fixed to each other at the intersecting parts thereof substantially at the central longitudinal axis of said tube; fixed seats respectively fixed to one end of each of said beams and having a curvature corresponding to that of the inner surfaceof said steel tube;

removable seats removably and adjustably engaged with the other end of each of said beams and having substantially the same curvature as that of said fixed seats; and

wedge means inserted. between engaging parts of each of said beams and its respective removable seat to adjust the position of said removable seats relative to said other ends of said beams;

said removable seats each having a groove formed along two opposite peripheral edges thereof, and wherein said beams each have a pair of elongated portions extending lengthwise of said beams and slideably engageable with saidv grooves of the respective removable seats, said wedge means being inserted between said elongated portions and between respective beams and removable seats.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a third beam attached to the intersecting parts of said at least two beams and intersecting said at least two beams at an angle of about 120;

a third fixed seat fixed to one end of said third beam;

a removable seat removably engaged with the other end of said third beam; and

additional wedge means inserted between the engaging parts of said third beam and third removable seat.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each wedge means includes a pair of oppositely directed wedges.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least two beams and associated seats and wedge means are located substantially at an end of a steel tube.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 comprising at least two additional beams intersecting and associated seats and wedge means at substantially the other end of said steel tube.

Patent No. 3 776,253 Dated December 4, 1973 Inventor(s) MASAY'A YAMAFUCHI; r, a1

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4; line 42, change "beams intersecting" to- ---intersecting beams-m Signed and sealed this 30th day of July 19714 (SEAL) Attest: I

McCOY M. GIBSON, JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents uscoMM-oc scan-Pee I t 0.54 GOVIIIIIII'I' PIINTIIG OFFICE lll 0-lI-3M,

F ORM P04 050 (10-69) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 53 Dated December 4 1973 Inventor(s) asaya Yamaguchl Et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 42, change beams intersecting" to intersecting beams This certificate supersedes Certificate of Correction issued July 30, 1974. I

Signedandsealed this 31st day of December 1974. I

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY H. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting I Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM P0 1050 (IO-69) USCOMM-DC 80376-P69 U 5 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1. In combination with a large diameter steel tube, apparatus for preventing deformation of said steel tube, comprising: at least two beams intersecting at an angle of about 120* and fixed to each other at the intersecting parts thereof substantially at the central longitudinal axis of said tube; fixed seats respectively fixed to one end of each of said beams and having a curvature corresponding to that of the inner surface of said steel tube; removable seats removably and adjustably engaged with the other end of each of said beams and having substantially the same curvature as that of said fixed seats; and wedge means inserted between engaging parts of each of said beams and its respective removable seat to adjust the position of said removable seats relative to said other ends of said beams; said removable seats each having a groove formed along two opposite peripheral edges thereof, and wherein said beams each have a pair of elongated portions extending lengthwise of said beams and slideably engageable with said grooves of the respeCtive removable seats, said wedge means being inserted between said elongated portions and between respective beams and removable seats.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a third beam attached to the intersecting parts of said at least two beams and intersecting said at least two beams at an angle of about 120*; a third fixed seat fixed to one end of said third beam; a removable seat removably engaged with the other end of said third beam; and additional wedge means inserted between the engaging parts of said third beam and third removable seat.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each wedge means includes a pair of oppositely directed wedges.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least two beams and associated seats and wedge means are located substantially at an end of a steel tube.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 comprising at least two additional beams intersecting and associated seats and wedge means at substantially the other end of said steel tube. 